The present invention relates generally to devices to inoculate plant life with biological pathogens and in particular to inoculation devices for the inoculation of crops, such as corn, with bacterial pathogens.
Historically there has been a desire to screen Mycogen inbreeds and hybrids against the bacterial pathogens causing various diseases. Exemplary diseases include Stewart's Wilt and Leaf Blight (SWLB) and Goss's Wilt (GW).
The traditional method of an inoculation includes the use of two boards hinged together. The boards include a bed of nails embedded in an inoculum soaked sponge on the bottom of both boards. The bed of nails serves to wound the plant and deliver the inoculum. The two boards are held by an operator walking through the field and manually opened and closed to wound each plant. This method is labor intensive and suffers from built-in inoculator and worker variation. Efforts have been made to produce a machine that would simultaneously wound and inoculate a plant.
A prior art attempt was a recirculating solid stream spraying machine developed for the inoculation of MDNV. The machine used a solid stream of inoculum to force viral particles into the tissue of the plant causing a water soaked wound. The necessary pressure to cause the visible water soaked wound was between 60 and 80 PSI. The inoculation did not result in any visible symptoms on the plants and tests of the inoculum before and after showed the technique was killing most of the bacteria. It was believed that the violent decompression at the nozzle was destroying the bacterial cells.
In a exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an inoculations system is provided. The inoculation system being for use with a vehicle to inoculate plants arranged in a row with a pathogen. The inoculation system comprising a frame supported by the vehicle and a feed system which receives in series the plants arranged in the row. The feed system also provides a plurality of wounds in each of the received plants with a plurality of wound members and communicates the pathogen to the plurality of wounds. The inoculation system further comprises a drive system which moves the plurality of wounds members relative to the received plants.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an inoculations system for use with a vehicle to inoculate plants arranged in a row with a pathogen is provided. The inoculation system comprising a frame supported by the vehicle; means for capturing a plant of the plants arranged in the row; and means for wounding the plant captured by the means for capturing, wherein the pathogen is introduced into the wounds of the plant captured by the means for capturing.
In a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for inoculating plants arranged in a row with a pathogen is provided. The method comprising the steps of driving a vehicle along the row, the vehicle transporting a plurality of moveable wound members and a reservoir containing an inoculum containing the pathogen; capturing a plant of the row; wounding the plant with the plurality of wound members causing a plurality of wounds; and communicating the pathogen to the plurality of wounds.
In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for inoculating plants arranged in a row with a pathogen is provided. The method comprising the steps of driving a vehicle along the row at a first speed, the vehicle transporting an inoculation system including a plurality of wound members and a reservoir containing an inoculum containing the pathogen; capturing a plant in the row between a first moveable member of the inoculation system positioned on a first side of the row and a second moveable member of the inoculation system on a second side of the row, at least one of the first moveable member and the second moveable member supporting the plurality of wound members; driving at least one of the first moveable member of the inoculation system and the second moveable member of the inoculation system at a second speed, the second speed being based on the first speed of the vehicle; piercing the plant with at least a portion of the plurality of wound members causing a plurality of wounds; and communicating the pathogen to the plurality of wounds.
In still a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for inoculating plants in a field with a pathogen is provided. The plants being arranged in a plurality of rows. The apparatus comprising a frame having a first frame portion and a second frame portion, the second frame portion being moveable relative to the first frame portion; a plurality of ground engaging member coupled to the first frame portion; an engine operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to propel the apparatus through the movement of the at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members; a first moveable member positioned on a first side of a first row; and a second moveable member positioned on a second side of the first row. The plurality of ground engaging members being spaced to be located between respective rows. The frame spanning at least one row. The first moveable member and the second moveable member cooperating to capture a plant in the first row while the plant is wounded with a plurality of moveable wound members supported by least one of the first moveable member and the second moveable member. The apparatus further comprising a pathogen delivery system supported by the frame and a drive system coupled to at least one of the first moveable member and the second moveable member to move the plurality of moveable wounds members relative to the captured plants. The pathogen delivery system providing an inoculum containing the pathogen to the wounds of the plant caused by the plurality of wound members.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.